Helical loop racing track assembly



Nov. 19, 1968 c. T. MONTAGNA HELICAL LOOP RACING TRACK ASSEMBLY OriginalFiled Oct. 23, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. (P/4215s 7. Mwvmewn Nov.19, 1968 c. T. MONTAGNA HELICAL LOOP RACING TRACK ASSEMBLY OriginalFiled Oct. 23, 1964 I 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 RNVENTOR (x/4245s z/lmvroglvnATTORNEYS Nov. 19, 1968 c. T. MONTAGNA HELICAL LOOP RACING TRACKASSEMBLY 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Original Filed Oct. 23, 1964 INVENTOR 620M155KMu/vms/m BY ykwaymz ATTORNEYS QQQ u a r C. T. MONTAGNA HELICAL LOOPRACING TRACK ASSEMBLY Nov. 19, 1968 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Original Filed Oct.23, 1964 mvsm'on 61122455 7: Mas/705W ATTORNEYS United States Patent3,411,783 HELICAL LOOP RACING TRACK ASSEMBLY Charles T. Montagna, Clark,N.J., assignor to The Lionel Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporationof New York Continuation of application Ser. No. 406,060, Oct. 23, 1964.This application Mar. 8, 1967, Ser. N0. 621,708 Claims. (Cl. 273-86)ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A miniature racing track assembly forelectrically operated toy vehicles including a pair of side by sidetracks each of which has first and second portions in longitudinalalignment and in the same horizontal plane. A Y-shaped member connectsthe respective first and second portions with the end portions ofhelically shaped track loops.

This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 406,060,filed Oct. 23, 1964, and now abandoned.

The present invention relates to structures which are adapted to be usedwith toy vehicles.

In particular, the present invention relates to a structure for enablingtoy vehicles to perform looping maneuvers.

Structures are already known for enabling toy cars to be raced againsteach other, the outcome of the race depending upon the skill with whichthe various participants operate the toy cars. Such toy cars are capableof being electrically driven, and the several operators of the cars arerequired to manipulate electrical controls for varying the speeds withwhich the toy cars move through various curved and straight portions oftoy track assemblies, so that in this way the skill with which theoperators manipulate the electrical controls determines the outcome ofthe race.

Up to the present time racing toys of this general type have beenlimited to more or less horizontal maneuvers for the racing cars, andthis restriction has provided a serious limitation on the extent ofpossible enjoyment of the toy as well as on the extent of skill whichmust be employed by the various participants who manipulate theelectrical controls.

It is accordingly a primary object of the present invention to provide aracing toy of the above type which will provide far greater excitementfor the participants who manipulate the controls, by causing thevehicles to execute looping maneuvers, so that far greater skill will berequired on the part of the operators of the game and thus aconsiderably greater amount of interest and excitement will be achievedwith the structure of the invention.

In particular, it is an object of the invention to provide for a toyracing car an upstanding loop assembly which will make it possible forthe toy racing car when properly controlled by the operator, to carryout a faultless vertical looping maneuver during which the toy racingcar moves from a substantially upright attitude upwardly through alooping path requiring the toy car to pass through a completely invertedattitude before resuming its upright attitude.

In addition, it is an object of the present invention to provide anupstanding looping assembly of the above type for electrically driventoy racing cars.

Also, it is an object of the invention to provide a structure enablingupstanding looping assemblies of the above type to be incorporated intoexisting track structures in such a manner that the upstanding loopassemblies will merge smoothly into track assemblies which 3,411 ,783Patented Nov. 19, 1968 "ice are substantially horizontal during use ofthe structure.

Furthermore, it is an object of the invention to provide an upstandinglooping structure which will have a very smooth curve and which will beable to very reliably maintain its looped configuration during use ofthe toy.

In addition, it is an object of the invention to provide a loop assemblyof the above type which is quite inexpensive to manufacture and whichcan be very easily assembled with existing track structures.

Primarily the structure of the invention includes an intermediate tracksupport adapted to be situated between a pair of convenional trackassemblies and having a substantially Y-shaped configuration so as toform a Y- section. A leg of the Y-section forms an extension of onetrack section and the arms of the Y-section terminating at their outerextremities in lateral projections which are adapted respectively toform extensions of a pair of additional track sections. In accordancewith the invention each of these arms of the Y-section carries anupstanding loop assembly of the present invention, this loop assemblyhaving a pair of bottom end portions located respectively at theextremity of the arm of the Y-section and at the lateral projectionthereof, and the loop assembly extends from the extremity of the armupwardly around through an inverted position and back down to thelateral projection of the arm, this loop assembly forming an extensionof the conventional track structure so that a racing car, for example,can move onto the loop assembly at one end thereof, upwardly around theloop assembly through an inverted attitude and back down to the otherend of the looping assembly and onto the adjoining track structure whichforms an extension thereof.

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanyingdrawings which form part of the application and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective illustration of one possible embodiment of astructure according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary plan view on an enlarged scale, as compared toFIG. 1, showing the structure at the end of one of the arms of theYsection, and in particular showing how the ends of the loop assemblyare fastened thereto;

FIG. 3 is a transverse section of the structure of the invention, takenalong the line 33 of FIG. 2 in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal section of the structure shown inFIG. 2, taken along the line 44 of FIG. 2 in the direction of thearrows;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary longitudinal section of the structure of FIG. 2taken along the line of 5-5 of FIG. 2 in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 6 is a partly sectional transverse elevation of a fastening meansof the invention, the section of FIG. 6 being taken along the line 6-6of FIG. 7 in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 7 is a longitudinal section of the structure of FIG. 6 taken alongthe line 77 of FIG. 6 in the direction of the arrows; and

FIG. 8 is a transverse section taken along the line 88 of FIG. 1 in thedirection of the arrows, illustrating part of a loop assembly of theinvention, and in particular illustrating diagrammatically how theracing cars are pro pelle d.

Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown therein a free end portion of aconventional straight track section A as well as a free end portion of aconventional straight track section B, the track section B being alignedwith but longitudinally spaced from the track section A. These tracksections A and B are conventional and are adapted to be used for racingelectrically propelled toy racing cars.

Referring to FIG. 8, it will be seen that the toy racing car C, which isof a convetnional construction, has a pair of wheels situated at each ofits opposite sides, and one of the wheels at one side and one of thewheels 12 at the other side of the toy vehicle are visible in FIG. 8.The body of the toy racing car C houses an electrical motor which,through a suitable transmission, drives the wheels 10 and 12, and inorder to complete the electrical circuit through the motor the structureincludes a pair of brushes 14 and 16, which are simply in the form ofelectrically conductive leaf springs connected into the circuit of themotor and pressing against electrically conductive strips arranged alongthe tracks and through which the current flows.

Thus, the track section A has a pair of vehicle guiding portions D and Eeach of which includes a pair of electrically conductive strips 18 andrespectively adapted to be engaged by the brushes 14 and 16 of the toyracing car, and between these electrically conductive strips 18 and 20the track section is formed with a gap or groove 22 receiving adownwardly projection guiding pin 24 of the racing car (FIG. 8). Theprojection 24 is of course electrically nonconductive so that it entersinto the guiding groove 22 only for the purpose of forming a mechanicalguide for the racing cars. The strips 18 and 20 have upper edges whichproject slightly above the upper surface of the plastic body of thetrack A, and these electrically conductive strips 18 and 20 because theyextend upwardly beyond the plastic support through a slight distance notonly provide a better electrical connection with the brushes 14 and 16but in addition engage the sides of the wheels 10 and 12 of the vehiclessoas to also participate in the mechanical guiding thereof.

The section B is identical with the section A and, as was pointed outabove, forms an extension thereof which is, however, longitudinallyspaced therefrom, as indicated in FIG. 1, so that the structure of theinvention may be in terposed between these conventional track sections Aand B.

The structure of the invention includes a supporting track assembly Fwhich forms a section adapted to be interposed between and connectedwith the sections A and B, this section F of the track structure of theinvention having a substantially Y-shaped configuration so that it isreferred to below as a Y-section of the track. The Y-section F has a legand a pair of arms a and 40b diverging from the leg 30 and determinatingat outer extremities 36a and 36b in lateral projections which extendtoward each other and are integral with each other to form a crossbarportion 34. Actually the crossbar portion 34 has an I configuration withthe leg of the I forming the crossbar portion and with the ends of the Iforming extensions 36a and 36b of parts 32a and 32b of arms 40a and 40bwhich are integral with the leg 30, so that in the actual construction,the Y-section F includes extensions 36a and 36b of the arm portions 32aand 32b, these extensions 36a and 36b forming the ends of the I-shapedportion 34. The portions 32a and 32b are respectively extended by theportions 36a and 36b so as to form arms 40a and 40b of the Y-section Fwhich has at the outer ends of the arms the crossbar portion 3 4.

The leg 30 of the Y-section F forms an extension of the track section Aand has the very same vehicle guiding portions D and E which also formextensions of those of the track A, but in the Y-section F of theinvention these vehicle guiding portions D and E diverge from each otherand extend along the arms 40a and 40b.

Referring now to FIG. 2, it will be seen that the outer end 36a of thearm 40a is illustrated on an enlarged scale with a part of the crossbarportion 34 shown projecting laterally from the portion 36a of the arm40a of the Y- section F. The crossbar portion 34 also extends inwardlyfrom the outer end portion 36b of the arm 40b. Furthermore, there areillustrated in FIG. 2 the bottom ends of a loop assembly G of thepresent invention, a pair of such loop assemblies G being provided, asis apparent from FIG. 1. FIG. 2 shows the bottom ends of that loopassembly G which is nearest to the viewer of FIG. 1.

Referring now to FIG. 3, it will be seen that the arm 36a is formed witha slot 42 inwardly of its right side edge, as viewed in FIG. 3, thisright side edge including a wall 44 extending downwardly and engagingthe supporting surface of the toy track assembly. To the left of theslot 42 the arm 36a includes a horizontal web portion 46 joined at itsright edge, as viewed in FIG. 3, to an upstanding web portion 48 and atits left edge to a wall 50 which forms part of a groove or gap 52 whichis in fact an extension of the guiding groove 22 referred to above, sothat the guiding projection 24 of the toy car C is adapted to extendalong the groove 52 during movement of the toy car along the track.Beyond the groove 52, proceeding to the left as viewed in FIG. 3, thearm 36a includes a second web 54 which is a mirror image of the web 46and which terminates at its outer side edge in a vertical web 56identical with the web 48 and defining one side of an elongated slot 58identical with the slot 42. From the slot 58 the arm 36a extends to itsleft side edge, as viewed in FIG. 3, where it is provided with adownwardly directed side wall 60 identical with and corresponding to thewall 44. The webs 46 and 54 in addition are respectively provided withgrooved portions 62 and 64 which receive electrically conductive strips66 and 68, respectively, and these electrically conductive strips formextensions of the electrically conductive strips 18 and 20 referred toabove. As is clearly apparent from FIG. 3, these electrically conductivestrips project slightly above the upper face of the plastic body of thetrack section F.

Continuing now to the left from the inner side wall 60 of the armportion 36a of FIG. 2, a part of the crossbar portion 34 is shown, andthis crossbar portion 34 includes an upper wall 70 (FIG. 3) formed witha slot 72 one side of which is defined by a side wall 74 joining ahorizontal web portion 76 formed with a groove 80 receiving anelectrically conductive strip 82 and then formed with an additionaldeeper groove 84 which also receives the downwardly projecting guidingprojection 24 of the toy car C. The transverse bar portion 34 continuesto another groove 86 having an electrically conductive strip 88, andthis structure repeats itself in a manner providing to the left of thestructure shown in FIG. 3, where the bottom left end of thefragmentarily illustrated loop assembly G is situated, a mirror image ofthe structure shown in FIG. 3.

The pair of loop assemblies G shown in FIG. 1 are identical, the onlydifference being that one of the loop assemblies is reversed withrespect of the other so that the. inner ends of the loop assemblies willbe adjacent to each other while their outer ends will be distant fromeach other, as indicated in FIG. 1. Therefore, only one of the loopassemblies will be described in detail.

As may be seen from FIG. 1, each loop assembly includes a pair of trackportions 90a and 90b, and these track portions extend throughout theentire length of the loop assembly and define between themselves a gap92 which receives the guiding projection 24 of the toy racing car C, asis apparent from FIG. 8. As may also be seen from FIG. 8, each of thesetrack portions is of a channelshaped configuration and has a transverseweb portion 96 having an exterior surface to be engaged by the wheels ofthe toy vehicle. In addition to the transverse web portion 96, each ofthe track portions 90a and 90b includes a pair of side web portions 98,and these side web portions extend away from the exterior surface of theweb portion 96 to define with the interior surface of each track portionthe interior of the channel. The pair of side webs 98 of each channelrespectively have inturned side edges 102 situated in the interior ofthe channel and directed toward the interior surface 100 of thetransverse web.

Referring now to FIGS. 6 and 7, these track portions 90a and 90b of eachloop assembly G are maintained in connection with each other, in theirpredetermined spaced relationship defining the groove 92, by a fasteningmeans which includes a plurality of fastening members H wh ch aredistributed about the loop assembly 'at its exterior portion which isnot engaged by the wheels of the toy racing cars. The fastening member His itself in the form of an elongated channel member having an elongatedtransverse web 104 which extends transversely of the track portions 90aand 90b. The web 104 is integral at its side edges with side Webs 106 ofthe fastening member H, and the web 104 is formed with a notch 108 whichextends through the transverse web 104 into the side webs 106 butterminates short of the outer edges 110 of the side webs 106, so thatthe portions of the transverse web 104 which are separated by the notch108 are maintained in fixed and interconnected relationships by the sideweb 106 of the fastening member H.

The longitudinally spaced portions of the transverse web 104 of thefastener member H each terminates at its ends in outwardly directedflanges 112 which have free ends engaging the inturned edges 102 of thetrack portions 90a and 9011, as shown most clearly in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7,and due to the springy nature of the fastening member H, on the onehand, and the track portion 90a and 90b, on the other hand, theseinturned edges 102 snap over the flanges 112 so that the fasteners Hremain connected with the track portions 90a and 90b to form from thelatter the assembly G. One of the web portions 104 of each fasteningmember H is formed with a tubular threaded portion 114 extendingcompletely through the transverse web and receiving a threaded screw 116which can be turned so that its free end presses against the transverseweb 96 of one of the track portions of the loop assembly G, and in thisway the flanges 112 are pressed against the inturned edges 102 of atleast one of the track portions so as to fix the position of thefastening means H along the curved track portions. Any desired number ofthe fastening means H may be distributed along each assembly G in themanner indicated in FIG. 1.

As is apparent from FIGS. 6 and 7, the fastening means H is made of anelectrical y non-conductive material, such as a suitable plastic, whilethe track portions 90a and 90b may be made of a suitable metal so as tobe electrically conductive. Aluminum sheet may be rolled to have theconfiguration of the track portions 90a and 90b, for example.

Each loop assembly G, before it is assembled with the track section Fwill have substantially the looped configuration shown in FIG. 1, sothat when the loop assembly is fastened to the Y-section F it is notnecessary to distort the loop assembly G to any appreciable extent inopposition to its natural resilient tendency to maintain a certaincurvature when it is unstressed.

Returning now to FIGS. 35, it will be seen that the inner side webs ofthe loop assembly are received in the gaps 52 and 84, which form thegrooves for receiving the guiding projection of the toy racing car, andthe outer side webs are received in the slots 42, 58, 72, and of coursethe'leftmost slot of the half of the assembly which is fragmentarilyshown in FIG. 3. This leftmost slot is not illustrated in FIG. 3.Therefore, the webs 46 and 54 are received in the interior of thechannel-shaped tr-ack portions 90a and 90b, respectively, and the endportions of the loop assembly are formed with openings to receivecountersunk screws 121 which are threaded into threaded bores ofintegral bosses 122 of the plastic material of the track section F, andin this way the free ends of each loop assembly are directly fastened tothe section F. In addition, it will be seen that the outer side walls 48and 56 of the webs 46 and 54 extend upwardly beyond the webs 46 and 54,respectively, and the same is of course true of the outer side walls ofthe webs 76 and 78 which are received in the other channel-shaped endportions of the track portions 90a and 9017.

As may be seen from FIG. 3, the web 56 of FIG. 3

extends above the web 54 to form a side rib 120 which curves upwardly atits upper edge, as indicated in FIG. 4, .and which terminates in atransverse hollow supporting portion 122 having a top wall 124 directlyreceived in the channel-shaped track portion b and having transverseside walls 126 and 128 shown most clearly in FIG. 4. In the same way theside web 48 has a portion extending upwardly beyond the wall 46 andcurved in the same way as the side Wall and connected in the same waywith a hollow transverse support 129 which is a mirror image of thehollow support 122 and longitudinally displaced with respect thereto, asis clearly apparent from FIG. 2. These supports are duplicated to formthe supports 130 and 132 of an identical construction received in thechannel-shaped track portions at the other end portion of the loopassembly G, as is apparent from FIG. 2.

The electrically conductive track portions 90a and 90b of each loopassembly G are pressed by the screws 121 against the electricallyconductive strips 66 and 68, as shown for one end of the loop assemblyin FIGS. 2 and 4, and in the same way the other end presses against theother conductive strips. Thus, the conductive strip 82 is shown clearlyin FIG. 5 is being engaged by the transverse web of the track portion90a, which it will be noted is supported on the transverse hollowsupporting structure 130 integral with the plastic of the transverse barportion 34, and FIG. 5 shows a part of the side wall portion 136 whichextends upwardly to support the track portion 90b, this side wall 136being integral with an end of the transverse hollow support portion 132.Thus, the track portions, by being pressed through a substantial portionof their length against the electrically conductive strips, are inelectrical connection therewith. When the different track sections areplaced in connection with each other, they are held together by knownclips 140, as shown for example at the left portion of FIG. 4 where aclip assembly 140 is shown releasably interconnecting the portions 32aand 36a of the section F of the present invention. Similar clipassemblies are used for interconnecting the track sections A and B withthe section F, as indicated for example in FIG. 5 where the tracksection B is shown joining to the transverse bar portion 34 of the tracksection F of the present invention.

It is therefore apparent that conductive strips, such as strips 18 and20 of the track section A, will be electrically connected with the pairof track portions 90a and 90b of the loop assembly G, and theseassemblies will in turn be electrically connected with the conductivestrips for the vehicle guiding structure B, as is apparent from FIG. 1,so that in this way the electrical connection between the electricallyconductive strips of the entire assembly is maintained.

Referring now to FIG. 8, there is diagrammatically illustrated therein atransformer 142 which is connected to any suitable source of current andwhich has a secondary portion 144 provided with a manually operableadjusting structure 146 capable of being tapped into the secondary coilat any desired location, so that the operator by manipulating thecontrol 146 is capable of increasing or decreasing the speed of movementof the toy car C. The secondary is shown in FIG. 8 electricallyconnected with the track portions 90a and 90b only for the sake ofillustrating the electrical connection to the brushes 14 and 16, whichare in the form of leaf springs, as pointed out above. These leafsprings will of course press on the track portions 90a and 90b in thesame way that they press on the electrically conductive strips 18 and 20as well as those portions of the strips 66, 68 and 82, 88 which projectbeyond the track portions 90a and 90b of the loop assembly of theinvention. Actually the secondary is connected to the strips 18 and 22,for example, and in this way the electrical circuit is completed throughthe vehicles so that the operator by manipulating the control 146 candirect the vehicles along the tracks.

When the vehicles come to the loop assemblies G of the invention, theoperator will have to provide for each vehicle such a speed that bycentrifugal force it will remain in engagement with the loop assembly Gas it traverses its inverted position, at the uppermost part of the loopassembly G, and will then continue along the lower part of the loopassembly onto the track section B. Of course, the direction may bereversed so that the vehicles first progress along the track section Band engage the inner parts of the pair of loop assemblies G and then goaround to the outer parts thereof and onto the track section A. However,in either event the operator will have to develop a considerable amountof skill to provide each toy racing car with such a speed that it willmaneuver the loop assembly G properly while at a speed great enough toget ahead of the other racing cars, so that with the structure of theinvention there is provided in an extremely simple way an inexpensivestructure capable of greatly increasing the interest and excitement of,as well as the skill required for, a game where contestants operate toyracing cars, for example.

What is claimed is:

1. A miniature racing track assembly for electrically operated miniaturefour-wheeled toy vehicles having a downwardly projecting guide portionand downwardly projecting brush means, said assembly including a pair ofminiature tracks, each of said tracks comprising a first and a secondminiature track portion spaced from each other in the longitudinaldirection of said track assembly and having their outer extremities insubstantially longitudinal alignment with each other, said first andsecond track portions being located substantially in the same horizontalplane, each of said tracks also comprising a substantially verticallyextending miniature track loop forming substantially a turn of a helixand including two end portions which are laterally olfset with respectto each other, means for respectively fastening said end portions tosaid first and second track portions of the respective miniature track,each of said first and second track portions having an elongated gaptherein extending substantially throughout the length thereof to receivesaid guide portion of said toy vehicle and each having a first surfaceportion which is located on one side of said gap and which extendssubstantially throughout the length thereof for supporting the front andrear wheels of one side of said toy vehicle and each having a secondsurface portion which is located on the other side of said gap and whichextends substantially throughout the length thereof for supporting thefront and rear wheels of the other side of said toy vehicle, each ofsaid minia ture track loops having an elongated gap therein extendingsubstantially throughout the length thereof from one of said endportions of the respective track to the other of said end portionsthereof, each of said track loops having first electrically conductivesurface means which is located on one side of said last-mentioned gapand which extends substantially throughout the length thereof forengaging the bottoms of the front and rear wheels of one side of saidtoy vehicle and for contacting said brush means, each of said trackloops having second electrically conductive surface means which islocated on the other side of said last-mentioned gap and which extendssubstantially throughout the length thereof for engaging the bottoms ofthe front and rear wheels of the other side of said toy vehicle and forcontacting said brush means, each of said first and second surfaceportions of each of said first and second track portions having embeddedtherein a strip of electrically conductive means which is adapted tocontact said brush means and which is electrically connected to arespective one of said first and second surface means of the respectivetrack loop.

2. A track according to calim 1, in which each of said track loopscomprises a pair of electrically conductive looped strips which arespaced from each other laterally in side-by-side relationship to definesaid gap in the respective track loop and which are electricallyinsulated from each other.

3. A track according to claim 1 in which the track loops of said pair oftracks are arranged in side by side relation.

4. A miniature racing track assembly according to claim 1, in which saidfastening means comprise screw fasteners connecting said end portionsrespectively to said first and second track portions of the respectivetrack.

5. A miniature racing track assembly according to claim 1, in which saidfirst and second electrically conductive surface means of said trackloop include downwardly depending flanges defining therebetween saidelongated gap.

6. A miniature racing track assembly for electrically operated miniaturefour-wheeled toy vehicles having a downwardly projecting guide portionand downwardly projecting brush means, said assembly including a pair ofminiature tracks, each of said tracks comprising a first and a secondminiature track portion spaced from each other in the longitudinaldirection of said track assembly and located substantially in the samehorizontal plane, each of said tracks also comprising a substantiallyvertically extending miniature track loop forming substantially a turnof a helix and including two end portions which are laterally offsetwith respect to each other, means for respectively fastening said endportions to said first and second track portions of the respectiveminiature track, each of said first and second track portions having anelongated gap therein extending substantially throughout the lengththereof to receive said guide portion of said toy vehicle and eachhaving a first surface portion which is located on one side of said gapand which extends substantially throughout the length thereof forsupporting the front and rear wheels of one side of said toy vehicle andeach having a second surface portion which is located on the other sideof said gap and which extends substantially through the length thereoffor supporting the front and rear wheels of the other side of said toyvehicle, each of said miniature track loops having an elongated gaptherein extending substantially throughout the length thereof from oneof said end portions of the respective track to the other of said endportions thereof, each of said track loops having a first electricallyconductive surface means which is located on one side of saidlastmentioned gap and which extends substantially through out the lengththereof for engaging the bottoms of the front and rear wheels of oneside of said toy vehicle and for contacting said brush means, each ofsaid track loops having a second electrically conductive surface meanswhich is located on the other side of said lastmentioned gap and whichextends substantially throughout the length thereof for engaging thebottoms of the front and rear wheels of the other side of said toyvehicle and for contacting said brush means, each of said first andsecond surface portions of each of said first and second track portionshaving embedded therein a strip of electrically conductive means whichis adapted to contact said brush means and which is electricallyconnected to a respective one of said first and second surface means ofthe respective track loop.

7. A miniature racing track assembly for electrically operated miniaturefour-wheeled toy vehicles having a downwardly projecting guide portionand downwardly projecting brush means, said assembly including basemeans, a pair of miniature tracks, each of said tracks comprising afirst and a second miniature track portion mounted in said base means,portions of said first and second track portions spaced from each otherin the longitudinal direction of said track assembly and having theirouter extremities in substantially longitudinal alignment with eachother, said first and second track portions being located substantiallyin the same horizontal plane, each of said tracks also comprising asubstantially vertically extending miniature track loop formingsubstantially a turn of a helix and including two end portions which arelaterally offset with respect to each other, said base means beingprovided with opening means for respectively receiving said endportions, means for fastening said end portions to said base meansadjacent the first and second track portions of the respective one ofsaid pair of tracks, each of said first and second track portions havingan elongated gap therein extending substantially throughout the lengththereof to receive said guide portion of said toy vehicle and eachhaving a first surface portion which is located on one side of said gapand which extends substantially throughout the length thereof forsupporting the front and rear wheels of one side of said toy vehicle andeach having a second surface portion which is located on the other sideof said gap and which extends substantially throughout the lengththereof for sup porting the front and rear wheels of the other side ofsaid toy vehicle, each of said miniature track loops having an elongatedgap therein extending substantially throughout the length thereof fromone of said end portions of the respective track to the other of saidend portions thereof, each of said track loops having a firstelectrically conductive surface means which is located on one side ofsaid last-mentioned gap and which extends substantially throughout thelength thereof for engaging the bottoms of the front and rear wheels ofone side of said toy vehicle and for contacting said brush means, eachof said track loops having a second electrically conductive surfacemeans which is located on the other side of said lastmentioned gap andwhich extends substantially throughout the length thereof for engagingthe bottoms of the front and rear wheels of the other side of said toyvehicle and for contacting said brush means, each of said first andsecond surface portions of each of said first and second track portionshaving embedded therein a strip of electrically conductive means whichis adapted to contact said brush means and which is electricallyconnected to a respective one of said first and second surface means ofthe respective track loop.

'8. A miniature racing track assembly according to claim 7, in whichsaid end portions are provided with downwardly depending flangesreceived in said opening means.

9. A miniature racing track assembly for electrically operated miniaturefour-wheeled toy vehicles having a downwardly projecting guide portionand downwardly projecting brush means, said assembly including at leastone miniature track comprising a first and a second miniature trackportion spaced from each other in the longitudinal direction of saidtrack and having their outer extremities in substantially longitudinalalignment with each other, said first and second track portions beinglocated substantially in the same horizontal plane, a substantiallyvertically extending miniature track loop forming substantially a turnof a helix and including two end portions which are laterally offsetwith respect to each other, means for fastening said end portionsrespectively to said first and second track portions, said first andsecond track portions each having an elongated gap therein extendingsubstantially throughout the length thereof to receive said guideportion of said toy vehicle and each having a first surface portionwhich is located on one side of said gap and which extends substantiallythroughout the length thereof for supporting the front and rear wheelsof one side of said toy vehicle and each having a second surface portionwhich is located on the other side of said gap and which extendssubstantially throughout the length thereof for supporting the front andrear wheels of the other side of said toy vehicle, said track loophaving an elongated gap therein extending substantially throughout thelength of said track loop from one of said end portions thereof to theother of said end portions thereof, said track loop having firstelectrically conductive surface means which is located on one side ofsaid lastmentioned gap and which extends substantially throughout thelength thereof for engaging the bottoms of the front and rear Wheels ofone side of said toy vehicle and for contacting said brush means, saidtrack loop having second electrically conductive surface means which islocated on the other side of said last-mentioned gap and which extendssubstantially throughout the length thereof for engaging the bottoms ofthe front and rear wheels of the other side of said toy vehicle and forcontacting said brush means, each of said first and second surfaceportions of each of said first and second track portions having embeddedtherein a strip of electrically conductive material which is adapted tocontact said brush means and which is electrically connected to arespective one of said first and second surface means of said trackloop.

10. A miniature racing track assembly for electrically operatedminiature four-wheeled toy vehicles having a downwardly projecting guideportion and downwardly projecting brush means, said assembly including abase, at least one miniature track comprising a first and a secondminiature track portion mounted in said base, spaced from each other inthe longitudinal direction of said track and having their outerextremities in substantially longitudinal alignment with each other,said first and second track portions being located substantially in thesame horizontal plane, a substantially vertically extending miniaturetrack loop forming substantially a turn of a helix and including two endportions which are laterally offset with respect to each other, saidbase being provided with opening means for receiving said end portions,means for fastening said end portions to said base adjacent said firstand second track portions, said first and second track portions eachhaving an elongated gap therein extending substantially throughout thelength thereof to receive said guide portion of said toy vehicle andeach having a first surface portion which is located on one side of saidgap and which extends substantially throughout the length thereof forsupporting the front and rear wheels of one side of said toy vehicle andeach having a second surface portion which is located on the other sideof said gap and which extends substantially throughout the lengththereof for supporting the front and rear wheels of the other side ofsaid toy vehicle, said track loop having an elongated gap thereinextending substantially throughout the length of said track loop fromone of said end portions thereof to the other of said end portionsthereof, said track loop having first electrically conductive surfacemeans which is located on one side of said last-mentioned gap and whichextends substantially throughout the length thereof for engaging thebottoms of the front and rear wheels of one side of said toy vehicle andfor contacting said brush means, said track loop having secondelectrically conductive surface means which is located on the other sideof said last-mentioned gap and which extends substantially throughoutthe length thereof for engaging the bottoms of the front and rear wheelsof the other side of said toy vehicle and for contacting said brushmeans, each of said first and second surface portions of each of saidfirst and second track portions having embedded therein a strip ofelectrically conductive material which is adapted to contact said brushmeans and which is electrically connected to a respective one of saidfirst and second surface means of said track loop.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,152,183 8/1915 Kiansten et al104-55 1,572,649 2/1926 Gunderman 104-55 2,392,722 1/ 1946 Burlin 104-552,703,534 3/ 1955 Copeland.

3,139,237 6/ 1964 Braverman.

3,206,122 9/1965 Frisbie et al 104--60 X 3,209,491 10/ 1965 Roeper46-243 FOREIGN PATENTS 3 31,142 7/ 1903 France.

ANTON O. OECHSLE, 'Primary Examiner.

